*OFFICIAL* Alienware M17x R1/R2 Owner's Lounge Thread - Part 1

Just a quick question. Is my warranty expiring in 9 days or 47 days?

 

Man that is weird, it does look like you are about to expire in 9 days. The XPS Tech support is the elements that remote diagnoses your system then uses the NBD. But if all else I would call dell and find out whats going on.

On a related note I just renewed my warranty for another 2 years, strange thing though they would not let me do maximum duration until after paid for the 2 year one.

 

With respect to the above two posts, I extended my warranty twice on my R1 and after about 4 years it's expired and they claim their 'system' will not allow them to update it anymore. I'm thinking this is code for = we do not want to support your computer anymore haha. This is after asking me to pay something in the order of $380 to extend the warranty for 1 year, until they looked me up in the system and saw my case history...
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Anyways, I have a question about my R1. I have an HDMI cable hooked up to my TV through the video card, and I am playing videos on it, but I cannot get the sound to travel from the laptop to the TV. I have looked through EVERYTHING to try and get this to happen, but I have to resort to using my laptop's speakers whenever I watch the TV. It's hooked through a 20 ft. HDMI cable...do I have to download a special driver??? I enabled the HDMI sound in my sound properties, but nothing ever pops out of the TV speakers.

Your thoughts?

 

hankaaron57;
Yeah dell warranty section did anger me a little, now the maximum duration is available for purchase but its now $280, when it was $130 if I bought it with the 2 yr one.

As for your HDMI problem I found this post from NBR that discusses it, I hope it helps. http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware-m17x/489630-hdmi-audio-problem-m17x.html

 

Hey guys just doing some time killing internet browsing and found this : http://www.techinferno.com/2012/01/25/alienware-2012-notebook-refresh-rumor-m17x-r4-m14x-r2-m18x-r2/


Here is hoping that the systems come in Xfire.

 

We have a thread too:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/alienware/640963-new-m17x-r4-m14x-r2-m18x-r2-coming.html

@Hank: what video drivers are you on?

 

Hey everyone, kinda OT but didn't really feel the need to create a whole thread about this.

I have a NZXT Cryo LX cooler and I have just started noticing that the DC jack in the back is starting to get a bit flaky.

I remember reading a ways back that some other people also had this issue. Is there an easy fix for this? Cause it wasn't cheap and it actually does the job quite well.

 

That happened to mine. The DC jack broke off the board. I've never attempted a repair and lost the input. I think somone said they gor a replacement board from NZXT. I'll be following this. As it stands I'm using a USB port hub, and the Cryo is just a holder for my system to keep it at a nice angle.

 

Ok, I will have a look and see what the damage is.

I stopped using the internal USB hub as I had issues with devices dropping off etc. Since then I have been using an external USB hub. Turns out I am using more then 4 ports now anyway as I prefer to not have things plugged in to the laptop. It looks neater

It must be no older then a year, so it may be still under warranty.....just gotta find the receipt.

 

Yea, I may try and contact them and see what I can do about mine too. I just like to know it works, even if it's not used. And I have a bunch of stuff in my hub. I think it's a 7 port. Printer, blu-ray burner, dvd drive, external hdd, external keyboard. And it's all near with only one plu into my system. Although I still have my mouse and network cable plugged in to the system.

 

Thanks for the thread, captain. I just downloaded new realtek HDMI drivers in hopes that will help give me more control over the HDMI out/digital sound output.

Katalin, I'm using old ones because they keep my gfx card cool. 186.64 forceware. I wasn't aware this would have any effect on customizing the digital sound output, as I don't see it anywhere in the nVidia control panel...but it's a good place to start experimenting now that you bring it up [and if the realtek drivers I downloaded above don't work].

I want this to work so badly. This certainly beats the crap out of burning DVD's.

 

10 characte

 

lol, Dude gotta admire your perseverance, You never give up.

Plus you should know that goes in the benching thread by now. Not the owners lounge. Especially for the R1/R2

 

So yet again I am being plagued by the BSOD involving the usb driver. So I went back to google and searched this lovely forum. I found that others were having my problem back in 2010 with the accelerometer. Well the question is, is the accelerometer somehow tied into the USB controller or driver? I know it sounds crazy but just trying to cover my basis. I have tried looking for the tech info on the device but only get dell/alienware results regarding laptop specs. In either case it looks like a long night with my android, a monster rehab, and an alienware tech.

 

Hey guys, just dropping in to request if my fellow NBR members will vote for our F@h thread. Follow the link "Vote" in my sig. Thanks!

 

how often do you guys repaste? When I did my paste job BF3 was running at like 86 max. Now it is 96 almost at max... Its very high... I do see some dust down there but repasting is really pain in the butt..

I had it on 24/7 btw.

 

I've applied paste to the R1 about twice over the last 2 years when I still owned the machine. The R2 never required any work. They're both gone now. But of course, they were running older cards -- 5870m Xfire and 280m SLi for the R2 and R1, respectively.

 

The R2 is a pretty good when it comes to the thermal paste and pads. I am going on over a year and I still have good temps, nothing over 75C with some heavy gaming and videos. Now my old m9700, the temps spiked did a roller coaster and I had to clean the vents and repaste every 6 months to keep the temps low. I would go ahead and clean the vents and hit the fans with some canned air.

 

You shouldn't have to repaste for a long, long time if you are using good quality paste.

It is probably just dust in the heatsink. A can of compressed air will help with that.

You can bake thermal paste, so if it gets too hot it can lose its thermal conductivity. This happened to my CPU when I had it flat on the desk with a massive overclock. It did a thermal shutdown but I noticed my temps were all over the place afterwards. Repasting fixed my temps.

 

Hi guys, looking for some help on re-installing.
If there are threads already covering this a link would be appreciated.

I have an R1 with Vista. I've just bought a new PC so I want to pass the R1 across to my g/f. It's had two and a half years worth of my messing about so ideally I'd like to freshen it up. What's my best option?

If I run Alien re-spawn will it restore the PC to exactly how it left the factory?
Is it best to just buy a copy of Windows 7 and run a clean install?
I'm fine with graphics drivers but what about all the other drivers for the machine, I looked at the Dell site and it didn't seem to have most of them?
Is there a site that has an archive? ( I won't be needing wifi).

TIA.

 

Hey, Brad, take a look at this thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...er-install-order-guide-alienware-systems.html

If you want to keep Vista, all drivers needed (except graphics driver) should be available on Dell's site.

Make sure you won't install an older version of Command Center than the one you currently have.

 

What are temperatures you guys are getting with 5870 with or without oc? What about i7 xm??

Using a COOLER, I managed to put it to 92ish max with BF3. Still very high. It is with 20% oc.

I am trying to figure out if the vents are clean. I repasted last november!

 

I would be content with those temps running that level of an overclock.

Never hurts to clean out the heatsinks and vents though! A necessity when running overclocked hardware in a laptop

What do you mean by a COOLER?

 

My R2 OVERHEATS LIKE CRAZY... It is with all the oc but still.. I got two BSOD, and crazy freak out crash without BSOD that required cold shut down. Happened playing BF3..

Not sure what the real problem is... Its really not the dust...

 

Thanks katalin but I've decided to uninstall everything non-vital and run every clean-up/defrag/error check/registry sweep I can find.

Looking at that list of instructions for a clean install made me feel funny!

It is a 100% certainty that I would completely balls that up!

 

No problem, Brad, it's your choice after all but keep in mind that if you have any questions or concerns we may be able to help so don't shy, go ahead and ask

 

oh i meant a generic laptop cooler. you know the ones with fans.

i might try to repaste or use compressed air. I guess its dust cause it was like 86 c with FURMARK right after i repasted... sigh...

 

I just cleaned the fans yesterday and glad that I did. My system temps run great (50-60C) but the fans and heat sinks got really dusty. I was getting a noise grinding noise at startup and heavy fan noises during operation, but they have stopped since the cleaning.

 

I should blow my fans out too, though temps are not bad or anything. Just got my new paste and pads in so I may do that next week. Keep my system in top Folding@home shape since it runs with the GPUs and CPU maxxed at 100%, 24/7

Don't forget, please vote for our F@h thread!! Link in my sig

 

Yeah thats pretty much why I did mine, F@H has been given my system a good workout. My system has been a few rpms short of taking off and flying off the desk, so I'm trying to keep it as quiet as possible.

 

i am having some power problems using usb. it doen't seem to power my ext harddrive enough to let me enter my password to decrypt it

 

Are your sure your USB hard drive didn't come with a dual USB Y adapter cable? Alot of drives draw too much, and require it for data/power + power.

 

looks like my battery is dead... And wow $160 for a new battery from dell seems way overpriced. Im not about to drop that much money on a battery.

 

There are two for sale in the Marketplace

 

I have a question to ask you R2 owners.

I am currently thinking about selling my maxed out Nebula Red R2. But I have been really attached to this thing and everytime I look at it, the design is just too gorgeous to get rid of it.

I might game in college but I am not sure.... What are your opinions about whether I should sell my R2?

 

I saw no unless you want to lose RGB. What are your specs? I consider mine maxed out

 

every part litearlly maxed out. RGB + 1.5 TB 7200RPm

 

I've just sold my M6600 and bought R2

 

Congrats! Welcome to the crew.

 

It's my second R2
Before I had a black one but wanted the nebula red


EDIT
On my first R2 the gpu temps never went over 80C.
Now I saw 107C . I think I should repaste the gpu.

 

I have a big problem.
When I install AMD driver (11.12, 12.1 or from dell website) the computer doesn't close. There is the black screen , the fans are working.
I have to put for a few second the alienhead to close the laptop.
When I uninstall the amd drivers everything is ok.

What to do?

 

Hey aldam, congrats on your repurchase of the R2, its like falling in love with an ex lover all over again . Anyway, I had that problem as well trying to install ver 11.1 from amd. I found a dell doc that walks you through video driver install issues that may help. It has you uninstalling, and deleting reg enteries, so I hope it helps. A senior member Mr. Fox also has a post that may help as well involving the Vbios. Good luck to you buddy.

Dell site: Alienware L3 Help Documents by PC Model - Alienware Forum - Alienware Club - Dell Community

Mr. Fox post: http://forum.notebookreview.com/ali...ash-after-i-install-my-graphics-driver-2.html

 

I try to download this document from dell website but

EDIT
Updated vbios . It seems ok now

captain008 THX +1

 

Yeah dell support sites are like that here today and down for a week. When ever it comes back check it out they have a lot of troubleshooting articles.

 

strange thing.
When I install AMD driver from the dell website I can adjust voltage on the gpu using trixx.
When I install the drivers from guru3d or amd website It's impossible to do it :/

 

That's a blessing in disguise...overvolting is a great way to brick your vid card

 

Whats the Sound Blaster X-FI usb mate?

 

Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 | Creative Labs Online Store

I'm using the Nuforce uDAC-2 Sounds amazing.


Also dropping in here to see if some of my R2 peeps can take a min to vote for the F@h thread in the NBR contest. Link is in my sig.

 

hahahaha DR650, Rally up the support!!!

 

DR650 answered it...way better sound than the stock IDT audio

I have the pro version though (only $49 ) :
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro USB Sound Card powered by THX TruStudio Pro | Creative Labs Online Store

That's sick. But with the rest of your laptop components, you'd have to expect something ridiculous in the sound department too